Nocking the Arrow

"Created by the rise of new tools, new schools, and new informal learning opportunities, a new vision for authentic, engaged, and personalized learning has become widely shared." - Tom Vander Ark Sunday morning, and it's picture postcard picturesque. I smell bacon frying for breakfast; a grandmotherly woman is walking her two  Yorkies in the park, and singing birds are the only sounds piercing the still air. As I approach the pond I can see the reflection of trees, just beginning to change color, upside down in the water, the water smooth like polished glass. With my Browning SiloFlex in one hand and my vintage 1977 Plano tackle box in the other, I am enjoying the short trek to one of my favorite fishing spots. I'm craving a couple of hours of quiet reflection sprinkled with brief episodes of frenzy created by a few aggressive fish. As I approach the clearing to the pond, I notice a short man, much younger than me, with two fly rods, setting up to fish from  my...

In typical fashion, Will Richardson gave me things to think about, along with a reading assignment. Last week, he shared this gem from George Siemens . In his post, George explains why he is changing his thinking about educational technology.  "... educational technology is not becoming more human; it is making the human a technology.  Instead of improving teaching and learning, today’s technology re-writes teaching and learning to function according to a very narrow spectrum of single, de-contextualized skills." - George Siemens Without a doubt, my personal learning is constantly supported and enhanced by connected, mobile technology. The Internet, and all that it has to offer, feeds my curiosity, and keeps me informed. Technology helps me be a better learner. Using it makes me smarter. Additionally, technology has connected me to thousands, dare I say millions, of people. These connections provide information, resources, perspective, compassion, criticism, and fello...